


A Clean Slate

by erinisacow



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-06
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-16 13:52:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3490757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erinisacow/pseuds/erinisacow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco has been trying to prove himself and his changed ways for years now. And it's about damn time someone noticed. And by someone he means Hermione, for Merlin's sake! Not epilogue compatible. Draco/Hermione</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Hermione**

There was an annoying beeping coming from across the office. In fact, it was 5 feet away, out of arm's reach from her desk. It had been going off for 14 minutes and 39 seconds. And under no circumstances was she going to turn it off.

But oh, did Hermione Granger want to.

She did her best to tune it out again and focus on the work in front of her. There were five charts holding the information of previous patients. She looked from one to another memorizing as much information as she could. Melissa Thornton, Jim Puddle, Henry Carter, Anna Bass, and Connie Left.

17 minutes and 13 seconds.

Melissa had short term memory loss, Jim had migraines that no potion could seem to help, Henry had a hole in his heart, Anna had arthritis, and Connie just beat cancer.

19 minutes and 4 seconds.

Melissa needs a memory boost potion once every two weeks, Jim requires a referral to receive acupuncture, and Henry was going to nee-

The beeping stopped so she stopped. There was a knock on the door.

"Enter."

Benny Heath walked in with a grim look on his face. He looked pointedly from Hermione to the metronome/timer contraption that had been rigged up.

"You're doing it again," he stated obviously. He picked up the annoying device with his middle finger and thumb, as if afraid it would bite.

"Heath, please-" she began, ready to give a lengthy, but planned, speech that he'd heard at least twice now.

"No, Granger. No. Absolutely no. This ridiculous obsession you have with avoiding distractions is being to be a bother to your neighboring associates."

"But Hea-"

"Granger I said no. I didn't mind you using our new hires as lab rats for your 'distraction tests'" -the man used actual air quotes, I mean really- "and I allow you to monopolize the break area to hold all your coffee making things, but really, a loud beeping noise for twenty continuous minutes?" He paused to take a deep breath and I jumped at the chance.

"Heath, I need to improve my ability to drown out distractions. Now, how am I supposed to be chief of staff one day if I can't stay focused? Isn't a little beeping really just a small price to pay?" She had more to say, a 12 inch parchment's worth of arguments, but Heath gave her a look that cut her off.

"You are to cease this loud nonsense." He back away, still holding the timer. "And stop bringing all this muggle rubbish in to my hospital!"

** Harry **

Harry ducked as a bottle of firewhiskey barely missed him. Dang, that was a new bottle, too. Another bottle, wine from France, flew at him, hitting him right in the shin and taking him down.

"-And another thing you selfish bastard! How DARE you just ASSUME that you can just PLANT your SEED inside of MY VAGINA. Hell to the no. You'll be the Boy Who Is a Single Father, that's for damn sure!" Ginny stormed out of the living room, grabbed an already packed bag, and left through the front door.

This wasn't the first time they had this argument, and didn't seem like the last. She'd go sleep at the Burrow for a few days, and then Harry would go get her and apologize, and it would all repeat after about a month.

The age old argument between couple. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, boy wants kids, girl would rather get hit in the head with a bludger, boy gets called a selfish bastard a lot.

Harry also had the  _audacity_ to suggest that they make the conversion to muggle living. He'd had enough fame for a lifetime or two. But apparently, Ginny had not. Why would she give up being a famous quidditch player? Well, actually, possibly THE most famous quidditch player, depending on results of the poll of Witch Weekly. And don't forget it.

With a wave of his wand, Harry had the pieces of glass sweep themselves into the trash bin. Grabbing a bottle he had previously stashed in the couch cushions, he settled down for a long night of silence. Sweet silence.

** Draco **

Draco had always been a firm believer of saving the best for last. The pie only comes after one is done with supper. A shot of liquor only when one has finished their day at work. Cleaning near Granger's office is the last spot left after scouring the rest of the building.

Granger, he'd learned, was a mid-level healer. That meant her office was medium sized, with a glass wall for continued observation by a supervisor. And observation by Draco.

Draco Malfoy was not a creep, far from it. It was just that he had become accustomed to Granger's habits. She left no earlier than 10:00 pm, the current time, and she stayed no later than 10:30 pm, as a security guard always came and practically pushed her out of the building. In a moment, Granger will gather her hair back in to a professional bun, alphabetize her work, gather her bag, and leave.

Then Draco could gather all of her coffee mugs, as she used a new one each time she retrieves a refill, clean them, and place them in her preferred order on the break room counter.

Draco would swear up and down that he's not a creep. Just doing his job. Draco Malfoy, janitor, at your service.

He waved his wand in a circular motion, cleaning the glass windows across the floor, simultaneously, which was no easy feat, might I add. Draco had become quite the cleaning expert. He actually liked to think that Dobby would be proud of him. Or horrified and start cleaning for him, good ol' boy.

Granger finally began gathering her things in the normal fashion, but then paused, and stacked her dirty coffee mugs in a neat little pile on the corner of her desk. That was new. After they were seemingly satisfactorily stacked, she continued on with her leaving routine as if she never deviated. She exited her office, eyes focused on the elevator, never daring to look around. Not allowing distraction.

Yeah, Draco pretty much had Granger figured out. Too bad she never acknowledged him. Though nor did anyone else. He was a Malfoy, a dirty rotten pureblood, ironically. The only person who would look at him with kind eyes was his mother and his best, only, friend.

Poor ickle Draco.

**Ron**

"Mum, can I have some more potatoes?"

She looked at him warily. "Ronald you've already had three servings."

"I can't help it that you're the greatest cook in all of London, mum." She just shook her head and muttered to herself as she brought over another plate of potatoes. Ron was about to dig in when the front door slammed so loud the table shook. "Ginny's back" he grumbled, not that anybody needed an announcement, they all knew.

Ginny's stomping could be heard as she made her way up the stairs to her old room. Meanwhile Lavender made her way back from the loo and sat down at her place next to Ron.

"Ronald?" She asked, using the tone she always used when she wanted something.

"Yeth?" He said, not bothering to swallow, Lavendar didn't need much prompting.

"Why did Ginny seem so angry? I just heard her come in?" Lavender was giving off  _the look_ , meaning  _answer or else._

While Ron was working on swallowing his food, Mrs. Weasley saved the day. "Probably just a rough day a work, dear." Ron nodded in agreement.

Lavender looked back towards where Ginny went and started to shake her head slowly. "No, I feel like it's something more. Maybe I should-"

"Oh, is that the time?" Ron stood up suddenly and loudly to grab Lavender's attention back. "Lav, honey, we should really get going if you want to still check out that flat."

His girlfriend sprung up with a gleam in her eye. "Yes, Ronald! You're right! Let's go, let's go!" He was promptly dragged out of the room, and then the house, his stomach longing for the rest of those potatoes.


	2. Chapter Two

**Draco**

"Draco."

"Hmmm?"

"Could I please have your attention for longer than a few seconds at a time?" Draco rolled his eyes at Pansy's dramatics and then focused them on her. "Thank you. Anyways, like I was saying, I think I may get a promotion soon at Witch Weekly. I mean, they can't keep me as an unpaid intern forever. Can they?"

Instead of responding his eyes were drawn to a mess of curly hair entering the café. But when the woman turned her head, she had tan skin, instead of pale, and blue eyes, instead of brown. Pity.

"Draco! That's it! You either tell me who you're in love with or you stop being so  _mopey_ all the goddamn time!" Pansy's face was turning flushed, nose flaring.

"In love?" Draco couldn't stop the snort of laughter that forced its way out. "Pansy that's a little ambitious."

"Fine, fine." She flipped her short hair out of her eyes. It was a new style, quite fashion forward. "Whoever you're  _infatuated_ with. Tomato, to-mah-to. You're constantly distracted and I would like just a tiny bit of effort put into this friendship."

"Pans," He sighed. "I'm so sorry, you're right. I promise to give you more of my attention. You do deserve it. Tell me about this promotion."

"No no no. You're not off the hook. Who is it?" She placed her chin in the palm of her hand, resting her elbow on the table. This was her determined look.

"Oh, just some witch at the hospital." Draco said flippantly.

"Liar."

He sighed again and ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay, it's really-"

"Stop you're about to lie again. I can see it in the way you're scrunching your nose. Just tell me the truth, for Merlin's sake. Aren't I your best friend? Just be honest for once."

"It's Hernmph," he mumbled.

Pansy gave an exasperated look.

"HERMIONE," Draco said, perhaps too loud as several other diners looked their way. And a few more joined them as Pansy not so quietly spit her tea out.

"You can't be serious. I mean, she's gorgeous but you  _cannot_  be serious," Pansy stated, patting her mouth delicately with a napkin, as if her manners were back up to pureblood standards again.

"I am serious. I see her every day. I clean her coffee mugs. I distract the security guard if she leaves late and he's on his way to bother her. I-"

Pansy held up her hand. "Stop. Please. This is pathetic. I get it." Draco nodded glumly. "So what are you going to do about it?"

He snapped his head up so fast something may have popped. "Excuse you?"

"What are you going to do about it?" Pansy sat up straight and squared her shoulders. This was her motivational look. "Are you going to sit there whining about it? Or are you going to start acting like a man and be a little more proactive? Give her gifts, little things to show that you notice her. Grow a pair, for once."

He glared at the 'for once' dig. "Everyone hates me. I mean, hell, you understand. Bright witch like you still an unpaid intern at age 24. I can't just do whatever tickles my fancy. I'm a pureblood, I have to be careful."

Pansy wasn't buying it. "You've been careful the last, what, seven years now? It's time to show the Wizarding world that yes, we're sorry, but we're not the same.  _You're_  not the same, Draco. You're one of the kindest people I know. And you deserve happiness."

He sighed for the umpteenth time during this lunch and pulled out his wallet to pay. Standing up, Draco grabbed his jacket, and helped Pansy in to hers. "It's just not that easy, Pans," he muttered, as she looped her arm through his and they exited.

Draco flooed into the manor by way of Pansy's flat. He looked around and listened carefully for anyone close by, then made his quietly through the hallways, taking the most unused, and inconvenient, corridors on the way to his room. Two minutes of lefting and righting and he was almost there, when footsteps could be heard behind him. Damn.

"Draco, wait. Please, Draco, this is important." he stopped, but didn't turn around. "There's news of your father.

He faced his mother, taking in her slight frame and elegant style, as always. It's not that he didn't love his mother. He did more than anything. But a man has got to have some privacy, and some time to think about what his annoying best friend advised.

"Mother, good afternoon. What is your news?"

Narcissa Malfoy grabbed his arm. But not as a greeting, more like for support. In her other hand she held a letter, slightly crumpled. Close up Draco could see his mother had puffy eyes and some hair was out of place. All in all, she looked disheveled, yet not overly upset. So it couldn't be bad news.

"Your father he… Well, he's being released. In a few days. It turns out there was a mistake in some of the records and the Wizengamot does not have substantial reasoning to hold him in Azkaban. Draco… Your father is coming home." Tears started rolling down her face, but she held a giant smile, and her eyes held were wide with excitement.

"That's… Wonderful mother. Please excuse me." He lightly uncurled her fingers from his arm and turned back towards his bedroom. Draco closed the door quietly and then plopped onto his bed. When a few moments passed, and hopefully his mother had left, he pulled a pillow to his face and screamed into it with all that he had.

**Hermione**

_I could smell the bacon all the way in my room. Throwing the covers off, I pulled on my robe and made my way into the kitchen._

_"Morning, sweetie," mum said, handing me a giant mug of coffee._

_"Morning," I mumbled._

_"Your mother is making omelets," daddy said from the kitchen table, the sports section in his hand. I nodded and sat down at my place, focusing all my attention on the important matter: my coffee._

_It was silent for a moment until mum gasped and dropped her knife. "I forgot the tomatoes!" She started rushing around, pulling off her apron and fixing her hair._

_"Did you mean you forgot the to-mah-tos, dear?" Dad joked. Mum gave him an unamused glare as she grabbed her keys off their hook and headed out of the living, probably towards the front door._

_"I'll be back soon, loves." She called out, the door closing loudly behind her._

_I glanced at my father with an amused expression as if to say 'mothers'. But when I met his eyes his face was hard._

_"Hermione, dear, how's work been?"_

_I looked down ashamedly. "I'm trying my best to improve my efficiency, but my exercises are being halted by my supervisor."_

_I glanced back up, hoping to see forgiveness in his eyes, or even understanding, but instead I just saw anger and disappointment._

_"That is no excuse, Hermione Jean Granger and you know it." He slammed his fist down on the table, causing me to jump. "You know what? I am damn tired of your excuses. All you've been is a screw up since day one. A mistake. You know the rules, Hermione. No distractions. Failure is not an option."_

_My vision started to blur as warm tears made themselves present. Everything was fading away except for my father's furious figure, standing up, looking livid._

_"See? This is what I mean! How is crying efficient? How does it further your occupation? It doesn't! Stop that immediately!" I wiped my eyes, but dad still looked unhappy. More than unhappy. He started shaking his head, and picked up a butter knife, heading around the table._

_"It looks like you need to be taught how to not let distractions in to your life." He reached my side, and held up the knife threateningly. "It looks like daddy's going to have to teach you a lesson." The knife headed towards me, and all I could do was squeeze my eyes shut and-_

_BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

Hermione gasped and sat straight up in bed. Rubbing tears from her eyes, she took a deep breath and attempted to calm herself. It wasn't real, just a nightmare.

She'd been having dreams like this more and more. Probably just because she'd been missing her parents. But also because the pressure was going up at work, and she really did need to do better. It's not like either of her parents were ever abusive, quite the opposite. They were very loving.  _ **Are**_ _very loving_ , she reminded herself.

Shaking memories of delicious breakfasts, lake houses, and vacations to Paris out of her head, Hermione got out of bed, legs wobbling slightly. Grabbing my wand she  _accio_ 'd a pencil skirt and button up blouse out of the wardrobe, and flicked her wand to start a pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen.

Making her way to the bathroom, and then the shower, Hermione avoided looking in the mirror, knowing she'd only see a red, puffy face, dark circles under her eyes, and wild hair. She turned on the water in the shower, making sure it was scalding, and stepped in, sighing when the stream hit her sore back. The smell of coffee started making its way through the flat and she sighed deeply, reveling in feeling a bit more normal, and knowing today would be like every other day.

"Good morning, Hermione," a coworker called as she entered the break room. Hermione nodded toward him as he held the door open for the bushy haired woman who had her hands full with two brimming cups of coffee and a stack of work that had she'd picked up from her mailbox.

Hermione made her way to her office and kicked open the door, placing the coffee on the desk and her purse out of the way. Sitting down, she started pulling out files from the new stack and alphabetizing the patients. She almost didn't notice the vase filled with roses on the floor by the door.

Cautiously she stood up and walked toward the vase. There was no card or any indication of who they might be from. A friend? An admirer? She couldn't tell. Regardless, this could only be seen as a distraction from her work, and it was unacceptable to Hermione Granger. She picked up the vase delicately and left her office, back to the break room, where she left the roses at a table. They'd do well to distract someone else here. Walking back to her office she sat down to finally able to work, moments later pulling her hair out of its bun.

Hermione's watch beeped, signaling 10:15 and that it was time to pack up. Despite Heath asking her to remove her "muggle devices" there were just some inventions too good to not keep around. She cleaned up the mess of files on her desk, put her hair back in to a professional bun, and carefully stacked her mugs in a neat pyramid, Hermione had noticed the other day that someone was cleaning them for her and arranging them in size order in the break room, just how she liked it. She wasn't sure who, but they sure were a godsend.

She grabbed her purse and made her way towards the elevator, down to the ground floor. Hermione double checked that there were no muggles around as she made her way towards the apparition point nearby, and popped over to muggle London, landing on the balcony, the only part of the flat one could _apparate_  to. Hermione sighed at the large pile of mail that was stacked on a lawn chair, grabbed it, and went inside.

Shuffling through the stack, they were all predictable. Invitations to parties, brunches, and just witches and wizards asking advice. Nothing important. She took the letters in to the kitchen and tossed them, her eyes drifting towards a bottle of wine someone had sent her last week. She started to reach for a wine glass, stopped herself, and headed towards her bedroom instead.

_You know the rules, Hermione. No distractions._


	3. Chapter Three

**Draco**

Draco performed a time spell for the fifth time, green numbers announced 10:33 PM. So why is Granger still in her office? And why is her head down? Is she sleeping? This is a silly place to rest when she's probably got a lovely bed at home that would be way more comfortable.

But truthfully, the security guard was going to be walking up here any second, and when he saw her he'd pull a seedy grin and be all too happy to roughly remove her from the building. So, Draco was left with a choice to make. To present himself for the first time since school to the infamous Hermione Granger? Or to save himself from an awkward encounter and leave the security guard to do his job?

Draco wasn't given much time to think before the elevator dinged open to reveal the skeezy guard. He looked around and Draco could swear his eyes brightened as they landed on Hermione. Wand already in hand, Draco flicked it around a few times and a loud bang came from the floor above.

The guard looked around confusedly and made eye contact with him, but Draco shrugged cluelessly. When the guard looked away, he waved his wand again and the noise returned even louder. The security guard grabbed his wand and pressed the elevator button frantically, and rushed inside. Draco could barely contain his chuckle as the doors shut.

Looking towards Hermione he sighed, the security guard won't be gone forever. Draco made his way over to her clear door and knocked lightly. She didn't move, so he tapped again, but she still didn't respond. Slowly he inched the door open, trying to make some noise so as to make his presence known and not startle her, but she still didn't budge.

"Herm-," his voice cracked around her name. He'd never really said it out loud much. He cleared his throat so to could try again. Draco was all the way inside her office now and taking slow steps towards her. "Granger? Are you alright?"

Slowly she lifted her head up, her eyes were tired and her messy hair even larger than normal. He watched her face shift between confusion and utter shock. Finally she looked around and her features twisted into realization. Her mouth dropped into an 'o', but still she said nothing.

"Um, I was cleaning-," he began, and she looked at Draco's wand and uniform obviously. "And the security guard-," he threw his thumb over his shoulder and she looked in disbelief behind him and the empty offices. "You were sleeping," he finished lamely.

Hermione patted down her hair before twisting it back up in to a bun, and then cleared her throat. "Malfoy." She nodded to herself before standing up and smoothing down her wrinkled clothes. He waited for her to say more but she just began gathering up her papers. The office remained in an awkward silence until her bag slipped out of her hands and upended, causing all her carefully organized papers to promptly unorganized themselves.

Immediately Hermione made a strangled noise and plopped herself onto the ground, not very gracefully, and set her head into her hands. Muffled groans began seeping through her fingers and her ears were turning an unhealthy red.

"Granger," he sighed, kneeling next to her and gathering papers. "What on earth-"but he was cut off by her grabbing his arm, causing him to freeze and cease any organization.

"This morning my alarm, that's a muggle thing, didn't go off, and since I haven't been sleeping well I woke up very late. My coffeemaker, that's a muggle thing, has been broken, so I've been going to a delicious place called Jo's Café in muggle London by my flat,but anyways today they completely botched my order, so I threw it out, and it wasn't big deal. But when I showed up today I discovered that Heath had cleared the break room of all my coffeemakers. On top of no caffeine my efficiency is down 5.7%, and my assistants have lost several of my patient's files. Also Rogers from the potions lab called me an ugly bint for not going out for drinks with him." She took a large breath finally and then placed her head back in to her hands.

Draco reached his hand slowly to Hermione's shoulder, but she flinched away. After a moment, she composed herself and stood up. She grabbed her wand from her desk and arranged her papers into a neat pile on her desk. She picked up her bag, once again smoothed down her clothes, and then looked back at him.

"I'm sorry," she breathed, and then made her way out of the office and towards the elevator. Draco followed her figure with his eyes, barely able to breath after that encounter, and she even grabbed his arm. Since there were no dirty coffee mugs to gather, Draco got up off the floor and left as well.

"Draco, darling, you're home. Lovely. I have the best news."

He blinked his eyes at his mother's sparkling outfit. Everything from her jewelry to her diamond encrusted dress was blinding.

"Good evening, mother," he mumbled, unbuttoning this shirt's top button, preparing for the worst.

"Don't undress yourself quite yet, young man. You'll need to be presentable for your father."

His head snapped up quickly and he began scanning the room for long, practically white hair, but the search came up empty.

"Not here, dear, he's in the sitting room. He's been waiting for you all night. Go along." She waved her hands towards the door, effectively dismissing him.

Draco walked along the hallway and made a few lefts while straightening his shirt back up. He knocked lightly on the doorway, announcing his presence, and then entered and sat across from the man who he hadn't seen in almost seven years.

"Good evening, sir." Draco nodded his head politely.

"Draco, you've finally arrived. We've much to discuss about my return." Draco rubbed his eyes and adjusted into a more comfortable position, as this was bound to be a long night. Lucuis Malfoy attempted a smile, which meant the next sentence would be anything but pleasant.

"You must take over the family business as soon as possible."

** Hermione **

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Hermione hit down on her alarm clock and sat up. While the noise itself was piercing, it confirmed to Hermione that it did still work, and yesterday morning was just a fluke. She performed her morning ritual, choosing all black to accompany yesterday's dismal mood, including the embarrassing breakdown in front of Draco Malfoy, of all people. She waved her wand in vain towards the coffeemaker that had been sitting on her counter useless for days, and then left her flat to wander towards Jo's Café, hoping for a better experience than the day before.

She sat at the table that was optimal when taking in account sunlight, noise level, and how hidden it was from the front entrance. Even years later, and with her removing life's distractions, reporters would still follow her anywhere.

However, she sat down without being bothered and picked up a menu, despite knowing already what she was going to order.

"Miss?" A waitress stood in front of Hermione, a tray of food in her hand. Hermione raised her brow expectantly. "A nice man came in and requested I bring this to a Miss Hermione Granger, that's you, right?" She placed the tray full of treats down, along with a mug of coffee so big it was practically a bowl. "Someone must really like you, miss." She smiled as she walked away, completely ignoring the look of disbelief left on the witch's face.

The tray had biscuits, scones, and muffins all stacked on top of each other and in various flavors. It was really quite overwhelming, however Hermione grabbed something with little strawberry bits and popped it in her mouth. Not bad. And after a sip of her coffee she was in pure heaven. She glanced around the entire café yet nobody looked familiar enough as to be someone who would just buy her a tray of pastries. However, Hermione just shrugged her shoulders and continued to eat. This day might not be so bad after all.

"Hermione, it's just so wonderful to see you, it's really been ages. I was so surprised to receive a response back to my invitation for lunch that I dropped my glass!" Harry chuckled happily, but Hermione could tell he was tired.

"I'm so sorry that I've been so unresponsive, Harry. It's just-"

Harry waved his hand to push away her words. "I know, Hermione, don't worry about it. I'm just so glad to see you, the past doesn't even matter."

She smiled at her childhood best friend, the first genuine smile she remember giving in a while. "Tell me all about you, Harry. What's been going on? Oh! And how's Ginny?"

Harry's eyes got noticeable darker. "Ginny is… Fine. As am I. Just fine." He looked at the menu in front of him distractedly.

"Harry," She chastised. "The truth."

He sighed and shook his messy locks. "It's just that… Ginny doesn't want children but I really do, and I think we're going to break up because of it." He sighed so deeply I thought he would choke, but I also noticed his shoulders relax.

"Oh, sweetie," Hermione clucked. "That's so sad. But you guys are soul mates. I'm sure you'll work through it together. You just have to communicate."

Harry shook his head again. "She won't talk, mostly just yell. I'm at my wit's end." She grabbed his hand from across the table to keep him from clenching it, and smiled at him reassuringly. He started to smile back when a bright flash went off in her peripheral.

Hermione looked around and sure enough there was a small team of reporters several tables away. They immediately got up from their table, threw some pounds on the table as Harry threw up an insulting finger towards the cameras. Laughing, Hermione grabbed his arm and they dashed out of the restaurant.

Finally returning to her flat, Hermione sat down on the couch with a smile on her face. A guardian angel must have been watching her extra closely today. She had a wonderful breakfast, lunch with Harry was fun, more fun than she'd allowed herself in months, and nobody bothered her at all today. To top it all off, she arrived to her office with her own personal coffeemaker installed. Honestly, it wasn't a bad day at all.

Glancing at her wall clock Hermione realized she wasn't tired despite it being almost eleven. She got up and grabbed a glass of wine. It wasn't long before one glass turned into three, and then four. Soon the corners of the room were fuzzy but her stomach was warm. As an impulse, she ran into the spare room and grabbed a book off the bookshelf, crushing it to her chest as she headed back over to the couch and her still half full glass of wine. This was no ordinary book, but a photo album.

Hermione set the album down gently on her lap and eagerly turned the pages. Memories filled her head of her parents on their numerous trips all over the world. A timeline was set off in her mind as she journeyed through her childhood up until about two years ago when she found her parents again, which is the most vivid memory that she had of them. Hermione knew it wasn't their fault that they forgot her, she had basically forced it upon them. In fact, she should be happy that they'd chosen the life of foster parents. It was noble, even. And they are so happy now.

Hermione didn't realize that she was crying until the drops starting splashing in to her glass. Realizing she was too drunk to realize if they were happy tears or sad ones, she closed the album and made her way to bed, ready to sleep through the weekend.


	4. Chapter Four

** Hermione **

Once again Hermione was sitting in Jo's Café enjoying a very large cup of coffee with a new assortment of pastries laid out in front of her. Even though she had purchased a new coffeemaker for home her two weeks ago, it was a nice feeling to get out of the flat and be around the bustle of the city.

Every day that that she was there, someone gifted her breakfast. Hermione kept asking the waitress: Who? Why? But she just smiled knowingly and made a zipper movement over her mouth. Each time she tried to hand the waitress money, she pushed it back at Hermione. Once, she left it at the table, and the waitress returned it to her the next morning along with an even larger tray of treats, which Hermione had begun taking to work to share with the coworkers on her floor.

In this situation, Hermione could assume one of two things. One, that this was a secret admirer vying for her attention and affection through edible things. Which, honestly, is the way to win any girl's heart. Or two, this was a friend or random citizen just trying to be nice. Whichever it, Hermione was purely grateful for who she'd taken to call her guardian angel.

Regardless, here she was, almost a month after having discovered this cute little café. Three weeks since she'd had a meltdown in front of the one and only Draco Malfoy. Two weeks since she'd bought a plane ticket to go to America and confront her parents that was scheduled for the Christmas holidays. One week since Heath told had told her that she was in the running to get a promotion.

All in all, life was looking up for Hermione Granger. As long as there were no more distractions.

"Is this seat taken?" Looking up from her mug there was Draco Malfoy smirking down at her. Hermione could only stare, taking in all his features at it had been years since she'd seen him up close, not accounting for her freak out. When she'd made no response in several moments he sat down, rather presumptuously, if you asked her.

"How are you doing this morning, Granger?" All she could do was gawk on in surprised silence. Malfoy looked around in an uncomfortable manner when she didn't respond. Finally he grabbed a treat off the tray and popped it in his mouth. He nodded in her direction, "these are delicious, a good decision." Again, she said nothing, so he shrugged his shoulders and grabbed another.

After a few minutes Malfoy seemed comfortable, as if they ate breakfast together every day. Hermione, however, couldn't seem to take her gaze away from her coffee in order to make conversation with him. Her whole brain was focused on one thing.

"Why are you here?" She blurted out. Malfoy looked over at her, keeping his face blank so she wasn't quite sure if he was amused or kind of offended.

"Well, Granger, you looked like you might be lonely, and I was definitely lonely. I just did some simple math." That Malfoy famous smirk was back, reminding Hermione vividly of their Hogwarts days, and it was infuriating. In fact, a very strong feeling of anger, also reminiscent of school days, was bubbling up to the surface.

"Eat slugs, Malfoy." His smirk immediately faltered, gone for a whole second. His brow creased significantly, and didn't smooth out completely, though the smirk came back. Even then, Hermione could swear his lips quivered. In another few moments, his face finally fell into a smooth apathy.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, Granger. I come in peace." He turned his gaze away from her, but didn't look to be leaving. In fact, he picked at the tray on the table, and seemed to be trying one of each type.

Eventually, he called the waitress over and ordered an Earl Grey. The waitress nodded and then winked at Hermione. The hell? After she returned with a steaming cup, Malfoy relaxed, his features falling to seem calmer and less forced.

Several times Hermione almost spoke up. To apologize for being rude, to ask if he could just forget about the last time they came in contact, or ask why he was there, for Merlin's sake, because it was driving her crazy. Unfortunately, she was somewhat of a coward, and the rest of their breakfast was spent in silence. When Hermione's watch beeped at her, she stood up, nodded towards Malfoy, and then left, hopefully with at least some dignity.

"Hermione!" She rushed in to the arms of one of her favorite red-heads.

"Oh, Ginny. I've missed you so." Hermione pulled back only slightly, to see that, just like Harry, her eyes were underlined with dark circles.

"Well, you could take off work at least,  _sometimes_. At least for-"

"Ginny, please let's not argue." Hermione gave her a pleading look, with a hint of puppy eyes. Ginny smiled and nodded. A hostess came over to greet them and brought them over to a table for two.

They had to meet at a more expensive restaurant,  _La Rouge,_ one known for keeping the photographers away so the top celebrities can dine in peace. Ginny being a chaser for the Holyhead Harpies, this was the perfect place to meet. After they ordered their drinks and appetizers, Hermione placed her menu down to focus on the matter at hand.

"Gin, we need to talk." She placed her glass of water down and sat up straight, acknowledging the business tone. "I talked to Harry, and he said-"

"What, that I'm an evil ruining bitch? That I'm flushing his dreams down the toilet? I'm the most selfish witch of our age?" Her ears were turning red and her nostrils were flaring.

"No," Hermione said calmingly. "He thinks that you guys are going to break up, and that scares him. When's the last time you were home, Gin?"

She shook her head. "I am home. The Burrow has always been my home.

Hermione was already beginning to feel exasperated. "You know what I mean."

Ginny looked all around, anywhere but at her. "It's been a few weeks, I guess."

"Is this you breaking up with him?" No reason to beat around the bush.

"No! Absolutely not. I-… I love him so much. And I want to be with him forever. But, a kid? And  _muggle_ London? When I'm in my prime? I just can't do that right now." Her eyes were a bit watery, her nose turning blush.

"Gin, he loves you too. So much. And he just wants to talk to you without his life being threatened." Hermione smiled gently to let her know that she was only trying to lighten the mood. "Go talk to him. Let him know all of your feelings. But… Do it calmly, please? Try not to be so demanding."

Ginny nodded her head thoughtfully. She didn't have a chance to respond as their drinks and appetizers arrived, carrying the conversation to a lighter subject of the delicacies this restaurant had to offer.

Dinner remained light-hearted and fun. Hermione's heart was heavy as she returned home to her flat, but heavy with the love of her friends that she had enjoyed the company of lately. Maybe a distraction every once in a while brings no harm? That could be the new motto. Settling in to bed she couldn't help but hold a wide smile while she drifted off. Things could be getting better from here on.

Hermione woke up with a jolt. Without even getting up and checking in the mirror, she knew her eyes were red with tears and her face puffy. This nightmare was worse than any other and would follow her thoughts all day. So much for allowing distractions every once in a while. That choice is obviously a mistake. Lesson learned.

No matter how bad her dream, Hermione still had a schedule to follow, a job to do. So she got up, took some deep breaths, and moved on.

As he had all week, Malfoy joined her for breakfast, picking at her treats. He'd try to start a conversation some mornings, but usually it ended badly, in the form of an argument or otherwise.

"Would you like to walk to work together?" He said around a mouthful of raspberry covered pastry.

Hermione stared incredulously over the edge of her coffee mug. "I'm sorry, where?"

"St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries? The place where we both work? The business which places money in both of our vaults monthly? My least favorite building? Ringing any bells at all, Granger?" His face was a mix of general amusement and something that was similar to concern. Hermione had been ignoring his stares at her obviously tired face since he'd arrived, and would continue to.

"I know where I work, Malfoy. It had just slipped my mind that you worked there as well. I have only seen you that once." Hermione knew her face reddened as she neared the topic of her hysterical night. A change of subject was due. "Sure," she said shyly.

Malfoy nodded to himself, his face a mask of apathy once again. They remained silent, even as he stood, pulled out her chair for her, and the quiet continued as they made the walk to the apparition point. They apparated separately, him first. However, when Hermione arrived, he was there waiting, and walked along with her all the way inside the hospital.

They split ways when they reached the elevator. He nodded towards her then headed in a room a few yards down. When the door closed, she tiptoed over to the door to see if she could figure out where he went.

Hermione's mouth dropped when she read the sign.

_Janitorial Offices_

Draco Malfoy? A  _janitor_? She couldn't believe this one bit.

Maybe he went in there to throw her off and is just waiting for her to leave so he can go to his office on the top floor. Maybe he doesn't even work here and just likes to walk around and be troublesome. Maybe  _anything_ , Hermione just knew, without a doubt, that he was not a janitor.

As she made her way up to her office Hermione really thought about it. Eating breakfast with him had really not been unpleasant. He always tipped generously, and spoke in a courteous manner. Even when Hermione would throw a few childish insults out, he replied with a smirk or even an apology.

Not to mention he looked all grown up. His hair was no longer slicked back, with that disgusting greasy sheen it used to have. He dressed modestly, with regular working class robes, and even sometimes muggle slacks. Really, all in all, he grew up to be not all that bad looking.

Hermione realized she had been sitting in her office for several minutes now, not having touched an ounce of work. Immediately she jolted out of her chair and rushed out to grab today's charts and begin work. Great, now she was behind for the day.  _No distractions, Hermione. When will you learn your lesson?_

** Ron **

"Lav, over here." Once again his girlfriend had lost focus, her gaze pointed somewhere else in the restaurant.

She turned to Ron with a smile that looked suspiciously forced. "Sorry, boo-bear. I promise you'll have my full attention, as soon as I go powder my nose." She stood up quickly, and grabbed her jumper and purse.

Women. They need their entire wardrobe to go to the loo.

Ron waited patiently for her to come back. Five minutes, and then ten. Ten became fifteen minutes.

At twenty minutes Ron was seriously starting to become worried. Right when he was about to flag down a waitress to go check on Lavender, she returned. Her face was flushed, her hair up in a bun, when earlier it as down, and her jumper inside out.

"Are you alright? That was, er, quite a long powdering."

Lav glared at him. "You cannot rush beauty, Ronnie. It takes time."

He sighed and nodded. "You're right, honey, I'm sorry." Even though she had just come back, her attention was already focused away from him.

"Love, tell me about work. Didn't you say you were up for some bonuses?"

One of Lavender's favorite things to do is talk about her job. Bringing it up was one of the best things Ron could do to keep her happy. He watched her face light up beautifully, and turn her attention back towards him.

"Oh, yes. There's a position for a part-time photographer that they're offering to all the associates at Witch Weekly. Every photo they use will an extra bonus on top of your regular paycheck. I've always wanted to be a photographer, Ronnie. Just think of how glamorous that would be."

She went on for the rest of the meal, completely invested in to their date again. He wished that there was a way other than keeping the conversation on her to keep Lavendar interested. But at this point, he'd do anything to keep this relationship going, as she seemed to be more and more disinterested. He really didn't want to prove his family right by admitting Lavender was slightly self-involved.

No, really. Only slightly

After their date they apparated to her flat, and Ron made sure that Lavendar was settled before he left. He never stayed long anymore since all of her stuff was packed in boxes. They kept saying that they were going to move in together but could never agree on a flat. Instead, she continued to live out of boxes and Ron continued to live at the Burrow.

After making sure to kiss Lavender several times goodbye, Ron apparated back to the Burrow, where Mrs. Weasley was already cooking up dinner. Luckily enough, he was already hungry again.

"Ronald, have you seen Witch Weekly this week?" His mum placed a copy of the magazine and another bowl of shepherd's pie in front of him.

The magazine was opened to a page with Hermione's face all over it. The pictures were of her and Harry, others with her and Ginny. As Ron read through the captions he could feel his face heating up. Curiosity turned very quickly to anger. Mrs. Weasley took one look at his face and started scooping up a big bowl of chocolate pudding. Around giant spoonfuls of dessert, he ranted angrily. "So my best friends can go running around together, and with my  _little sister_ , but all are too busy to answer my owls. The only time I even hear from Ginny is when she's bragging about how much better her team is than mine, and how she's more famous than me."

After a few minutes he couldn't take it anymore. Grabbing his wand from his pocket he flicked it until the magazine was a pile of ashes.

"My best mates won't answer me, my baby sister is better than me, and my girlfriend is losing interest in me." Mrs. Weasley gave him a sad look and grabbed the bowl in front of him, now empty.

"At least my mum makes good pudding."


	5. Chapter Five

**Draco**

"You've been sending her coffee and pastries every morning?"

"Yeah."

"Have you been eating breakfast with her as well?"

"Yes."

"And walking with her to work?"

"Affirmative."

"You put that coffee thingy in her office?"

"Correct."

"And you've asked her on a date?"

"Ind-… Er, no."

Pansy looked up from her list of "Things Draco Needs to Do to Get with That Granger Witch". She picked the title, obviously. In fact, the whole list was her idea, despite Draco's protests. Though, since Pansy was helping him, he couldn't be too upset. However, her ways had always been a bit roughly edged.

"In my defense, she drives me absolutely insane. I'm always incredibly nervous when I'm around her. You told me to show confidence, but I feel like she can see right through me. Plus, I'm always saying the wrong thing and upsetting her."

"Drake, you have  _got_ to step your game up. Women like passion, romance, and big gifts. They want the whole world to know that you want them. You have to prove that you deserve their attention."

"Uh, Pans, I think that might just be you. I think Hermione might be a bit more… Understated then you." She looked a little offended, and directed her gaze elsewhere as she took a drink of her water. When it was all gone she flagged down the waiter for another.

"Regardless," she stated finally, turning back to him, "you need to do something before she loses any interest." Again, Pansy looked elsewhere, as if to tell Draco that her word was final.

"So, how's your job going, Pans?" The one thing she could always talk to him about, no matter how angry at me she was.

"Oh, wonderfully. I know I'm just an intern now, but there's a chance that I could also be a part-time photographer. And I'd get paid real wage! It really is a dream job."

"How much of a chance?" Being realistic, while one of his greatest abilities, tended to be one of Pansy's greatest pet peeves, especially when it came from Draco.

"Enough of one. Only a few people seem to be going for it. Myself, Hannah Abbott who writes the advice column, some girl in the mail room, and then that idiot Lavender Brown."

Draco nodded in approval at her lack of competition. "Well, make sure to show them how a Slytherin wins." This resulted in a smile, and the rest of their meal went pleasantly.

They spent way longer than the time it takes to eat a meal at the restaurant, just enjoying being in each other's company. It is not always the case that someone finds a lifetime friend that will truly always be there, but they were just lucky that way. When it started getting dark, they departed. Draco had a meeting with his father, probably this nonsense about him taking over the family business again.

Draco arrived at precisely 5 at his father's favorite conference room in the manor. It was large, big enough to seat 50, though his meetings were never larger than four or five people. Lucius trusted very few people when it came to the Malfoy business. The fact that he had to entrusted it to mother's brother, a Lestrange of all people, when he left for Azkaban, caused Lucius a lot of discomfort and worry.

Seated inside was Draco's father and Uncle Rodolphus, quietly chatting.

"You're late, Draco." The grandfather clock in the corner of the room stated that it was 5:01. "Punctuality is a necessity for a successful business owner. Do you really believe that I ran my business well by being late all of the time? Come and sit, there is much to discuss."

The two men went on to explain the workings of the business. The countless meetings there would be with banks, investors, and other businesses. How Draco's social life would now be publicized and how he must be with the right people at the right time, including most meals spent that must be spent out on the town. They outlined all areas of the business that needed to be monitored daily. Draco was handed parchment after parchment with his schedule already planned, and completely filled, for the next several months, even up past Christmas. After a few hours of being loaded with responsibility, his brain felt ready to explode.

"How large is my staff?" Draco asked, hoping for it to be very large, to help with this overload.

"You currently have a staff of five. Six if you choose to keep your uncle on," his father stated this as if he was telling him the weather forecast.

"Five? Five people are supposed to help with all of this? Twenty people could take on all of this work and still be working full time!"

Lucius shook his head at Draco, and he could see the disappointment very clearly. "Draco, I ran this business for more than 30 years before I was sent away. I had a staff of two. Surely you can handle this weak amount of work."

Draco placed his head into his hands, the feeling of being overwhelmed only growing. "How did you manage, father? Do you have any tips?"

Again, Lucius made sure his features made clear of his frustration with Draco. "Purely my will to work hard and my dedication to the Dark Lord allowed me to succeed, son. You would do well to take after me."

Soon after that "advice" was given, Draco was dismissed. Lucius gave him a few days to quit his job as a janitor and to meet with Rodolphus to be trained. By next Monday he was to be ready to take over as head of the business.

With it already being 11, Draco retired to his room. An owl was waiting for him at his window and he immediately recognized it at Pansy's.

"She can't get enough of me, eh?" Draco joked with him, giving the owl two treats before sitting down at his desk to read it.

_Drake,_

_Your mission, should you choose to accept it (I heard that in a muggle movie once), is to plan out how you're going to ask out Granger. Make it big! Make it fabulous! Make it worthy!_

_xoxo Pansy_

So dramatic. But Draco guessed this would be something he'd have to do before his schedule was completely booked for the next 50 years. At his desk there was already a bottle of firewhiskey and parchment, so the supplies were all ready, and it was just Draco that was completely unprepared for this. A glass poured and a quill inked, and the only thing holding him back was him.

_Show up at breakfast with 3 dozen roses and ask her out._

Too simple. He downed his glass.

_Buy her a dress and jewelry and send them to her with a written request._

Wait, what's her dress size? Again his glass was emptied.

_Send her a series of mysterious notes that lead her to a restaurant that is completely empty except for myself and a gourmet chef._

What if she never reads the notes? The intent for a small sip turned into a gulp that emptied the glass.

_Drop by her flat with a band and sing to her an invitation._

He couldn't carry a tune if his life depended on it. Just like Draco's life definitely depended on drinking another glass of whiskey.

_Hire a man to kidnap her, and then-_

He crumpled another parchment covered in scribbles and crossed out ideas and threw it at the wall. This was hopeless, surely and completely. Hermione Granger? Date  _him_? The shamed Draco Malfoy, the presumed muggle-hater? He was insane to believe she'd accept.

His head was getting fuzzier and fuzzier and the bottle of firewhiskey was almost all gone. Trying to ignore the thoughts bubbling up that tomorrow he would have to quit his job, Draco stripped down to his boxers, AKA his pajamas. Lying down, he imagined the look of complete embarrassment and unease on Hermione's face if he performed any of those crazy stunts and fell asleep chuckling to himself.

** Hermione **

"I heard that she sends all the letters she receives back, unopened."

"I heard that she hasn't gone on a date since she was with Weasley when school got out 'cause she's such a prude."

"That's so pathetic. I heard that she's really anal about 'distractions' and will freak out on anyone who interrupts her."

"What a freak. I heard that she's sleeping with Draco Malfoy."

"What? No way in hell would he sleep with that troll."

"I also heard that he quit this morning."

"He quit? Aw, what a shame, I can't stare at his ass anymore when he bends over."

"Don't be disgusting, Astoria."

"I can't contain myself around a man so fine."

The two girls burst in to giggles. Astoria Greengrass and her sister, Daphne, were the two secretaries located closest to Hermione's office. And today she had left her office door open, which was obviously a mistake. Most of the things they said about her was run of the mill, however that thing about Malfoy quitting was definitely news to her.

Today she was running late, having a rough Monday morning start, and he was already at their usual table. They talked briefly on the walk to the hospital, but he definitely did not bring up his plans to quit.

Not that he owed her personal information like that, they certainly were not friends or anything, but a notification would have been nice.

Despite Hermione doing her hardest to focus on Mrs. Bloom's extreme case of recurring boils, the rest of the day was interrupted often with thoughts of Draco Malfoy, and feelings of impending loneliness for future mornings. Though they rarely spoke, and often argued when they did, there was a certain comfort when there was another person sitting at your table, sharing your breakfast muffins. She wasn't saying she'd miss him, as that would be completely preposterous. But lonely was definitely the emotion that was already starting to creep in to her stomach.

Making her way towards the café this morning was one of the most nerve-wracking things Hermione had done in a while. Her stomach was tearing itself to bits and she couldn't help but fall into her nervous habit of chewing on her bottom lip.

Will he be there? Will he not? Will he say anything about the fact that he quit his job? Will he not? Stepping in to the café, Hermione's face fell as she noticed her table was empty, save for her usual breakfast gift. She sat down and attempted to nibble at a raspberry scone, but it felt dry in her mouth.

See, this is why distractions in the form of people wa so destructive. You get attached, you allow yourself to become used to someone's presence, and when they leave, it disrupts your whole routine. So she sat alone, unable to eat, and barely drinking her coffee. She obviously needed more people in her life if she was going to let one person, practically a stranger, affect her in this way. And though she felt silly and even dramatic, Hermione couldn't shake this feeling that she  _missed him._

"Good morning," a cheery voice greeted. Hermione's neck snapped up so quickly something popped. Her shoulders slumped in relief yet her eyes narrowed in anger.

"Something you'd like to tell me, Malfoy?" She couldn't help this intense feelings of pure… Upset, rising up all the way in to her throat.

"I, erm, am wearing grey socks this morning instead of black?" His eyes were sparkling with humor but she waited until his face slowly fell into something more serious. "Okay, fine. I had to quit my job at the hospital, yesterday. Some new, um, circumstances arose and now I must be employed, uh, elsewhere." He was tapping his fingers nervously at the table. A waitress had brought him some tea but it remained untouched. His entire posture showed nervousness. Hermione was sure that her demeanor mirrored his.

"So will you, uh, still be, um, joining me still? For, er, breakfast, I mean." She could barely meet his eyes so instead she watched his mouth turn up in to a giant grin.

"Why, Ms. Granger. While your request is quite forward, I would be pleased to accept." she reddened at his arrogance.

Yet they sat and ate as usual, and her appetite returned with a vengeance. Surprisingly, he still walked her all the way to the elevator inside the hospital, only turning back towards the entrance instead of to the janitorial offices.

As far as distractions go, Draco Malfoy might not be so bad, after all.


	6. Chapter Six

**Draco**

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you are late! How do you expect to be a respectable businessman? You can't be with this behavior."

His Uncle Rodolphus looked furious, glancing from Draco to the grandfather clock in the conference room to make a point, delivering a speech similar to the one he had received last night when he was one minute late.

"Uncle, good morning. I apologize for the inconvenience, but did you not request me to meet you early in the morning? It is hardly past 9, is that not early?" At this question his uncle burst in to a mean-spirited guffaw.

"Draco, your days are to begin at 6, or 5, even. Starting at 9 AM will result in losing time and business. If the sun is visible, you should be working. And like the sun, you should not rest until all of your work is done for the day." In front of his uncle were mountains of papers. Draco was sure that they were ordered in some sort of system, but regardless it seemed like he could never get through it in a day, even with his supposed team of five.

His uncle was right, arriving at nine really put him behind schedule. What Rodolphus didn't know is that he was out eating breakfast with Granger. He could tell she was really surprised to see him there, maybe even happy. She knew Draco had quit already, probably from one of the many gossiping secretaries on her floor, and seemed upset about it. Best of all, she asked him to keep meeting her, to his surprise. When she asked him, all nervousness from being around her flew out the window, and he felt confident for the first time around her since, well, ever. When she asked him to stay it meant two things. One, he could finally work up the courage to ask her out. She obviously didn't hate him, so now he had to get her to actually like him. Two, regardless of how late he would have to stay at night, or how much it screwed up his schedule, or even how angry it made his uncle, he would try to continue to eat breakfast with Granger.

"Draco are you even paying attention?" He jerked his head up and made eye contact with a very angry Lestrange. "I don't think you quite understand the immense responsibility you are being given. Your fortune, family, and future depend on how well you do. And whether or not you've learned how to run this business I am leaving next Monday. It is no matter to me whether this business thrives or fails after I leave. It is all up to you."

Despite wanting to spend the rest of his day figuring out how to ask out Granger, Draco realized that Rodolphus was right. This was important, and he did have a lot to learn in less than a week. So for the rest of the day, and through most of the night, Draco listened, he took notes, and he learned. They went around London as he introduced himself as the new head of Malfoy Industries to the small businesses they controlled. While "industry" wasn't a good description of what they did, nothing quite embodied all of the business. Meeting these people for the first time meant that they wanted to show him around their own businesses, show him their successes and describe where improvements were desperately needed.

After apparating all around London it was about dinner time, but Rodoolphus said he would have food brought to them because there was much work still left to be done. Back in the conference room Draco was handed a stack of folders.

"These folders consist of the profiles of around a hundred applicants for the positions of helping you with the business. You may only choose five, maximum. Turn in your selections by Friday." Draco opened just one, to see what each folder consisted of. There was a name, a face, and then the person's entire background.

"Draco! Did you hear what I said?" Ashamedly, he shook his head in response to his uncle. "You really must work on that unfocused mind of yours. You let distractions overtake you with such force."

"Yes, uncle. I know. How were these applicants chosen?" Draco asked, noticing that there were all of a sudden sandwiches at one end of the table. He got up and grabbed one, and returned to flipping through the files, seeing little similarities between the people.

"Intelligence, aptitude, experience, etc. It's up to you to decide which skills are most necessary to help you."

"Is this my final job for tonight?"

Rodolphus laughed at him harshly. "No, my dear boy, you probably will not be able to even begin this task tonight. There are many other things to be done."

His Uncle whisked away the pile of folders to a different corner of the conference table and brought over three others.

"These folders describe our dealings with different business. This pile," he pointed to the largest, "is those you must check up on personally on a weekly basis. These are those you must check bi-weekly. And those are ones you visit monthly." He pointed to the other two medium sized piles. "If you don't check up on them it could cause ruin to their business, and to the good reputation of Malfoy industries."

"Is there a schedule somewhere?" Draco looked around the piles for a calendar or some kind of planner.

Rodolphus gave me a look as if to say, don't make me laugh again. "That is one of your tasks for tonight. To find make a schedule that is cohesive and that you can follow for a long time. Having to make one every month is inefficient. Make sure to allot twenty minutes for each visit."

"Anything else for tonight?" His head was beginning to hurt and Draco knew that he would be up all night.

"No, boy, I am returning home. Any questions?" He was already stepping towards the door not leaving much time to think of any.

"Would this workload have been reduced if I had come earlier?" Draco was truly curious. Arrive later, work later, it was all still the same amount of work, right?

"Indeed. If you would have arrived on time I would have been able to assist with some of this busy work. Regardless of when you arrive, I will leave at this time." With that he left Draco to his work.

Draco knew scheduling these meetings would be a lot of trial and error to get a good system, which could take a while. He called the house elf, the only one they had any more, paid wages of course, to bring him some tea, and some coffee as well. He drank the tea when it was brought to him, but left the coffee on the table just for the smell.

He worked well in to the night. When he was finally done, even Granger would have left work and been snug at home at this time. He trudged down the hallways and collapsed in to bed, fully clothed. But instead of falling asleep Draco devised a plan to ask Granger out. He knew it couldn't be the same as asking out any other girl. It needed to be different, just like Granger.

He finally fell asleep thinking of coffee and curly hair.

Draco's wand started vibrating in his pocket to wake him up. It was 6am, and he knew today would be harder than yesterday.

Draco showered quickly and made his way over to the café. In his eagerness to see Granger, he actually arrived earlier than her, but that only gave him more time to prepare himself. The waitress brought over tea and the plate of treats that he asked them to deliver every morning to Granger. She smiled knowingly at him, as she usually did, and sighed about young love. Draco used to correct her, that it's not love, back when she would say things like that to him when he sat alone towards the back of the cafe, but she always ignored him.

Finally, Granger arrived. I say finally, but of course she arrived at exactly the same time she always did. She sat down quietly and smiled shyly, helping herself to a poppyseed muffin.

"So how is your new job?" She asked before sipping a steaming hot cup of coffee.

"Difficult, confusing, overwhelming." She nodded sympathetically.

"What exactly is this job?" Draco realized he had avoided telling her. He didn't want her to think he was doing anything sinister like previous Malfoys in this same position.

"I am taking over the Malfoy business next week and am being trained this week by my uncle." Her face was blank before it spread in to a smile.

"A business man, huh? How suave. Not as cool as being a janitor, I'd say." Draco couldn't help but chuckle, this certainly was not the reaction he was expecting.

"However, I was thinking that maybe that with my day being so busy, I'll have all these interesting stories to tell, but I've no one to tell them to. Any solutions?" She gave him a dubious look, not buying in to his antics.

"I fail to see your point. I eat breakfast with you every day, you can't talk to me now?"

"I could," He conceded. "But I would prefer to do so when I'm not so drowsy. Perhaps during dinner? Next week? It'll be a nice break from the demands of my new job." He feigned exhaustion, his hand placed on his forehead dramatically. Hermione chuckled, and Draco knew his face must have lit up at the sound.

"Malfoy, you know I always have to stay late at work. I can't leave early for dinner, and I definitely don't think 11pm is an acceptable time to dine." She was smiling still but her words were serious, and final.

"I suppose, you're right." They continued to eat in a mostly comfortable silence. Hermione made moves to show she was about ready to leave when Draco hit his fist against the table, rather loudly.

"I've figured it out!" Granger was startled by the noise but looked intrigued. "I'll bring you dinner, at work! And I won't even be a bother. If you're too busy to talk, we'll just eat together. It'll be nice to have company, don't you think?" He smiled in a way that he hoped was convincing and didn't show how frantic he felt.

"So would this be, like, a date?" She looked really nervous as she pulled on her cloak. Draco was wondering how to label this earlier, to make her feel more comfortable.

"Don't be silly, Granger. More like two friends catching up after a long day. I'll just happen to bring a lot of delicious food." At this she smiled, and he walked with her, all the way inside the hospital, to the elevator door.

** Pansy **

"Pansy, make sure you send this to the copier, I need ten, and send out owls to our interviewees in the next three weeks. Also, I would like to interview some heads of Ministry departments, make that happen. Oh, and this tea is nasty, make me another."

Pansy Parkinson struggled under the weight of all the papers and folders, and tried to stand still so the mug wouldn't fall and break. She sighed as her boss, Amanda Jennings, began to walk away.

"Oh, and Pansy?" She looked up quickly, hoping Amanda hadn't heard her sigh. "Please and thank you." She smiled and returned to her office.

Amanda Jennings was not cruel, nor was she unfair. In fact, compared to most of the Wizarding World, she was nice to Pansy. However, she expected perfection, at any cost. And while her boss was alright, the pay was lacking, if not non-existent. In fact, if Pansy wasn't living off of what was passed down to her, the monthly pay for being an intern would not even cover food for a week. She no longer pursued a lavish lifestyle, but this job would not even support a minimalistic one.

Pansy made her way through the office, starting with setting a pot of tea to steep, alerting another intern to watch it and then take it to Amanda. Then she dropped off the rough draft of next month's copy of Witch Weekly with the copier, a middle aged widowed witch who had this job more for company than for pay.

Lastly, she sat down at her desk to begin writing out the many generic letters to the people they would be interviewing soon. You know, thanking them for their participation, reminding them of their interview times, and giving them ideas of sample interview questions they would be asked. Later she would send these off to the owlery, but considering the size of the list of people who needed one, it would be much later before she was even finished.

About halfway through her task, Amanda approached her again. "Pansy, are you trying out for that photographer job?"

"Yes ma'am, I'm even going out to buy a professional camera today."

Amanda smiled at her eagerness. "Good for you, dear. Just make sure to get started soon. One of your opponents has already turned in a few entries, and they are quite good."

Pansy nodded pleasantly at her boss as she left her to work, but her mind was too jumbled to go back to writing letters. So she had real competition? That's unexpected. Suddenly nerves flooded her stomach and she wasn't as sure about this job.

This was a time to ask the all-important question.

_What would Drake say?_

Thinking about it made Pansy chuckle. Drake would tell her that she had overcome all this new pureblood prejudice, so she could overcome anything. She was determined, and bull-headed, and she'd conquered everything she had ever encountered. Finally, Pansy calmed herself down enough to go back to work.

She may have underestimated her co-workers, but no one will underestimate her after this competition.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Ron**

A door slammed as Ginny returned home. Well, several doors, actually. This was along with the stomping of her feet and the throwing around of a few objects. Mrs. Weasley looked at Ron from across the table, and then looked pointedly upstairs.

"This is getting out of hand, Ronald, someone needs to talk to her."

"But mum-"She got up, grabbed his plate of chocolate cake away, and pointed upstairs. So, grudgingly, he got up and followed Ginny's noise.

"Gin, hey, I need to ask you something." He knocked on her door, and entered when she didn't respond.

"Did I say 'come in'?" She snapped at him. She had already changed out of her practice clothes and but she was just sitting there with her uniform on her lap. Ron could tell the anger in her voice was forced, and she looked beaten down.

"Tough day at practice?" He ventured. She shook her head and he sat next to her, knowing that eventually she'd open up.

"More like, tough year in general," Ginny voiced. Ron put his arm around her shoulder and waited for more.

"My manager has been threatening to trade me, saying I don't work well with the others. But, honestly, Ron, they won't work with me. I've tried being nice, inviting them out, offering tips or help. They hate me, I swear it." Ginny never cries, she didn't even when her brothers picked on her as kids, but right now Ron could tell she was close to tears.

"Have you talked to Harry about this?" Ron could feel her body slump even more at the mention of his best friend.

"I can't talk to Harry about anything. I don't know what the matter with me is. I just feel like I'm being attacked when he brings up moving or changing, because all of his ideas affect my life more than his, and he doesn't understand that." At this point Ron could definitely feel her shoulders shaking.

"Ginny," He said, but waited to give his advice until she'd calmed. "I know it's hard to talk to him, but sometimes Harry needs you to spell it out for him.  _Tell_ him, with clear and calm words, and he'll try to be more understanding. And if he doesn't, he's a foul git and I'll go after him for you."

Gin smiled sadly but she nodded her head. "I think it's been so long since I've tried to calmly talk to him. I just get so emotional every time I see him now, rationality gets thrown away. But, you know what? I think it's time we do actually talk." She kept nodding to herself as she got up and packed a bag. "I can't believe it took my idiot brother to show me something so obvious."

Ron threw a pillow at her that she easily dodged, and finally she smiled at him for the first time in what had probably been months. "I love you, big bro," she said as she made her towards the door. Ron was going to let her go before he remembered something important.

"Wait, Gin!" She stopped, only a little annoyed. "Why are Harry and Hermione avoiding me?"

His question made her turn completely towards him, and she looked about to drop her bag and sit back down, but then stopped, readjusting the strap on her shoulder instead.

"Um, I don't know, Ronald. I don't think they are? That's silly." But she wasn't really looking at him, which let Ron know they really were avoiding him.

"I'm not a complete idiot, I just want to know what I did." Ginny shook her head and turned back towards the door.

"You didn't do anything, Ron. But I'm not the one who can help you, right now." And then she left, not having answered any of the questions about Ron's friends that had been buzzing around in his head for a while.

Sighing, he got up and went to his room, and he wrote out, for the hundredth time, letters to his best friends. After sending them off to Errol the Second, Ron went back to the kitchen so he could finish his cake.

** Hermione **

Coming home to her flat Hermione was once again greeted by a big stack of letters. The stack had been bigger lately since someone put out those pictures of Harry and her eating lunch. But regardless, she sorted through them, preparing to throw them out as usual.

However, two envelopes in particular caught her eye. One was from Malfoy, who had never sent her a letter before, but whose handwriting stood out as being careful and precise. The other from the private investigator who had helped Hermione find her parents in the first place and, moved by her story, had promised to check up on them every once in a while to let her know how they were doing.

Hermione opened the one from the PI first, excited to hear of any news from them.

_Dear Ms. Granger,_

_There has been little change in the lives of your parents, but I thought I would send you a letter as reassurance. Your parents are currently fostering six children, two more since I last wrote you, and they are in the process of adopting Dave and Carrie, the twins that have been in their foster home since they began. I overheard their conversation at a diner they frequent, and they still talk about feeling like something's missing._

_Miss, I know it's not my place, but your parents definitely miss you, even if they don't realize it. I do think it would be in their best interest, and yours, for you to reveal yourself to them. I do apologize if I am overstepping, and until you do confront your parents, I will be happy to continue sending you updates._

_Sincerely,_

_James Morris, P.I._

Hermione willed her eyes not to tear up as she read through the letter several times. It made her smile, as she knew her parents could never just be foster parents and let the kids go. She was sure that they would eventually adopt more, which, in her mind, would only prove to her more that they didn't need her in their lives anymore.

Finally she turned her attention to the note from Draco. It was short, but made Hermione smile, and it was sweet of him to send it at all.

_Granger,_

_I have seen in to the future, and it seems I will have an excess of food tomorrow. Since I was taught to never let things go to waste, I have no choice but to bring you some in the form of dinner at around 7pm. Until then, stay well._

_Yours,_

_Draco_

Hermione's heart beat a little bit faster as she read his signing as "yours", and it beat a lot faster when she read that he put "Draco" and not Malfoy.

A large part of her reason was telling Hermione not to act like a schoolgirl, and that she should be more mature. And of course, this same part of her was repeating my mantra ' _no distractions, no distractions.'_

However there was an ever so small part of her, a part of her that she didn't know existed, that enjoyed the flutter in her stomach and appreciated the way Malfoy didn't seem to dot his  _i's._

At 6:59 Hermione patted her hair bun to make sure every hair was in place, straightened the collar of her blouse, and then stared expectantly at the glass office door, or through it.

She continued to stare until she checked her watch and it was 7:12, at which point Hermione gave up, shaking her head at her own stupidity. Here she was, the brightest witch of her age, waiting around for some  _guy_. She had other, more important things to do than  _dine_ with  _Draco Malfoy._  She had a career to pursue, and her father to honor. She couldn't believe she let herself get caught up with this, with  _him._ Hermione let her hair back down and dove in to her papers.

She was pretty resolute with her anger, even as her heart almost stopped at 7:46 when there was a knock on the door. It was her boss, Benny Heath, and he walked in to remind her of an upcoming deadline. He only stayed for a moment, and then left Hermione to grow angrier and angrier.

At precisely 8:15, there was a soft knock, and Hermione could smell something that suspiciously similar to Chinese food coming in. She slowly lifted my head, and her eyes immediately squinted into a glare at the pale blond at the other side of the office wall. To be fair, he looked ashamed, but the damage was already done.

After a few moments of them just looking at each other, with emotions apparent on both faces, he let himself in, and held up the takeout boxes as an offering.

"May I at least try to explain myself?" Draco asked quietly. She started to shake her head no in an answer to his question, but stopped herself. Hermione could tell he was tired, his clothes were very rumpled and the circles under his eyes were a lot darker than when she had seen him at breakfast this morning. Finally, after taking all this in, she nodded.

"I've explained to you how busy my work is, and how if I don't follow my father's rules to a T, I will be removed from the family." Hermione nodded again. "Well, apparently it's in the rules that I can't leave my office to eat unless it is scheduled for me to have a meal in public." She raised an eyebrow.

"Then how did you get here?" Hermione was sympathetic to the fact that his new job was so demanding, but her guard was still very much up.

"Well, I hired a new secretary, and the skills I required was a lot of volunteer work, to prove empathy, and top scores from school, to show powerful magical ability. Therefore she was able, and willing, to change my schedule and add you in as a private dinner meeting. If my father were to look over my calendar, he'd think I was meeting with the head of Muggle Relations at the Ministry."

His explanation was long but it made sense. That little, previously unheard, part of Hermione was speaking up again, begging that she forgive him so that they could enjoy a small, kind of romantic, dinner. But she couldn't make myself listen. The reasonable part of her knew that she had been putting too much trust and hope in to Draco Malfoy without anything to base it on, and it was time for her to let go.

"I forgive you, Malfoy." She said with a smile. Which was true, she had forgiven him. And she was even am grateful to him for teaching her another lesson that proved that she should not allow such a large distraction to enter her life again. Malfoy and her could stay acquaintances, she decided.

With the acceptance of his apology, Malfoy visibly relaxed and some color returned to his face. He set out the food and served up some lo mein and fried rice, Hermione's favorite. Conversation was very minimal, but it was pleasant. Malfoy described to her all of his new employees, who seemed to be working with him well and in return she told him some anecdotes about an intern she just got a few days ago who she was teaching to make her the perfect mug of coffee.

After a little more than an hour, Hermione hinted that she had a lot of work to finish before 10:30. Malfoy faked a pout before helping her clean up what was left of their dinner. His mood had improved as they ate, and again Hermione's heart started to flip around until she chastised it to be still.

"So, should I ask my secretary to schedule me to meet with the director of Muggle Relations again? Maybe next week?" His smile was compelling, and Hermione was noticing more and more his scent while they ate, so much so that she was afraid of becoming dizzy. But she knew better than to let that get to her.

"Maybe not," She said, feeling crushed when she saw his smile fall. "I think its best we stick to breakfasts, yeah?"

Malfoy nodded, looking tired and worn out once again. "Alright. Well, I must get back to the manor. I have several rather large stacks of paperwork calling my name." He bent his head in Hermione's direction as a farewell, and then left quietly.

Did I just make a mistake?

_No. No distractions._


	8. Chapter Eight

**Pansy**

Pansy woke up to a very loud, very annoying, noise at her bedroom window. With a little investigating she discovered an owl, looking very suspiciously like Draco Malfoy's owl, waiting not-so-patiently for her. Performing a quick time spell Pansy discovered that it was 7 AM. That's right, seven IN THE MORNING.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing here right now?" she asked as she let him in. The owl stayed silent and merely held out his leg that had a note tied to it. Pansy untied the parchment and the owl flew off without waiting for a treat, obviously annoyed by the early hour as well.

_Pansy,_

_I know it's early. I know and I'm so sorry. But normally I meet Hermione at this café in the morning at 7:30, and I can't today, I have a meeting that I just can't postpone. Please, Pansy, I know this is asking a lot, but please go meet her there. I've written the address on the back, it's in Muggle London._

_Thanks Pans, I'm so sorry._

_Drake_

Pansy read it again to make sure she hadn't misread. 7:30? That's crazy. She looked wistfully back her bed, considering crawling back in, their friendship be damned. But Pansy knew she couldn't do that to Draco, not when he was crushing so hard on Granger. So Pansy threw out all thoughts of getting anymore sleep that morning and rushed to get ready.

Hermione Granger was sitting at a very inconspicuous table, obviously not visible to passing paparazzi. The only reason Pansy even looked that way was the bush of brown hair that caught her eye. Granger was looking around and checking one of those muggle time-keeping devices on her wrist, obviously wondering where Drake was.

"He's not coming," Pansy announced, sitting across from the brunette and grabbing from the giant mountain of breakfast treats that was now between them. Realizing the look of shock and disappointment on Granger's face, Pansy realized she might have been a bit dramatic.

"What I mean is, he got caught up in a meeting. Lucky for you, he sent me an owl at this unlawful hour to come meet you. Just a water please," she directed towards the waitress that had stopped next to their table.

Hermione's eyes opened wide for a moment before she relaxed her shoulders and slumped back in to her chair. "He's not coming?" She asked in a stupor.

"That's what I said, Granger. What's up with you?" Pansy was confused by how much this had thrown Granger for a loop. This was the brightest which of their age?

"Sorry, I guess, I've been so used to our breakfasts. He's been here every day for weeks. I guess- What I mean to say is... I just-" Hermione was interrupted by Pansy's sudden, and quite unladylike, guffawing.

"Well, golly, Granger. You're just as smitten, aren't you?" At this Hermione reddened and put her hands up in an adamant protest.

"Smitten? No, no. No, I mean, I guess it's just routine, you know? It's been the same every day so something different has just thrown me off. I can't be smitten, he's just a distraction and-" Hermione was rambling and her words were falling on deaf ears. Pansy had a devilish grin about her and merely smirked until Hermione fell silent. Honestly, she wasn't trying to torture the poor girl who was beginning to look more than just a little upset.

"Anyways, if you don't mind, I'll just sit with you this morning. I never get a proper breakfast anymore." Hermione nodded shyly, picking at the scone in front of her.

Slowly the awkward air fell, and the girls participated in generic small talk, avoiding any subject that would cause either one discomfort. While that turned out to be easier said than done, the women seemed to rather enjoy each other's company, and Pansy started to see why Draco had taken to the witch across the table. For the second time in so many weeks Hermione found herself surprised at her company, yet wasn't at all unhappy with it. Pansy wasn't as passive as Malfoy was, and in fact was very outspoken, which Hermione found refreshing and frankly rather amusing.

"So, what's up with you and Drake?" Pansy asked before chuckling when Hermione almost choked on her scone.

"What do you mean 'what's up'? We're merely acquaintances." Hermione did her best to appear nonchalant, but had a sneaking suspicion that she was failing miserably.

"Right, and Lord Voldemort is right behind me," Pansy rolled her eyes and couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her voice. "Anyways, whether he's man enough to say it, Drake definitely likes you. No, don't give me that look, why else would he buy you all this food  _every day_? God, you two are both so ignorant about relationships." Pansy kept rambling on, clearly ignoring all the emotions that Hermione couldn't even bother to hide.

Hermione let the other woman keep up the rest of the conversation while she thought about everything Pansy just told her, and while she tried to pretend that she didn't care about the possibility that this little crush she'd been developing might be reciprocated.  _'Malfoy is the one who was buying me breakfast?'_  When she bade farewell to Pansy, however, the raven-haired witch couldn't stop smiling because she knew of a witch and wizard who were so perfectly made for each other, and she was going to get them together if it was the last thing she ever did.

Pansy stayed behind after Hermione, still having quite a bit of time before she needed to be at work. She took this time to try to figure out how to push Drake and Granger together, but she also spent some time questioning her own love life. Pansy had been more or less single since her parents tried to set her up in an arranged marriage after she left Hogwarts. With most people not wanting to be associated with purebloods after the war except other purebloods, Pansy wasn't left with a lot of decent options. She figured love would come around eventually, but Pansy wasn't really one to wait around, she was more like a grab-fate-by-the-horns kind of gal.

"Miss?" A waitress jolted her out of her thoughts. "It's getting kind of busy in here, would you mind if we seated someone else at your table?" Pansy merely shook her head and then turned to face the street-viewing window, drifting off again into her musings.

There was a cough above her, interrupting her thoughts again. Irritated she looked up to see her waitress and none other than Ron Weasley.

"If you'll have a seat here sir I'll bring you your tea," the waitress motioned towards the empty seat and left the two in an awkward silence.

"Erm, uh, sorry. The waitress said it was busy today. D'you mind?" He gestured toward the seat with a shy smile. Pansy nodded and he sat down with not much grace.

Pansy took her time scrutinizing the wizard across from her. He was tall, taller than she remembered from school and he seemed to take up a lot of space. His hair was disheveled and his freckles threatened to take over his face. His muggle clothes weren't this season, but at least they matched. Finally after a long period of silence Pansy sighed,  _he'll do._

**Hermione**

A knock on Hermione's office door jolted her out of her trance. She hadn't really been able to focus since her strange meeting with Pansy this morning, and jumped at this interruption.

"Hermione, we need to talk." Her supervisor, Healer Heath, walked in, looking more serious than she'd ever seen him.

"Sure, Heath, come in. Make yourself comfortable." She nervously tidied up the stacks of paper on her desk and brushed away at nonexistent dust while he settled himself into the chair across from her.

"It has come to our attention that you haven't been entirely truthful when logging your time here," he began. Hermione looked away, trying not to appear too guilty. "As a mid-level healer you should be working no more than 40 hours a week. However we have reason to believe that you've been working nearly twice that. Honestly, Granger, what has gotten in to you? Though you are an excellent healer you are not above the rules."

Hermione frantically reached for an explanation as to her obvious rule-breaking but couldn't come up with an acceptable excuse, so eventually she hung her head in defeat to await her punishment.

"I've talked with the council and they want to suspend you for two weeks. After that, you will return to servings 20 hour weeks like low-level healers until they approve otherwise." Heath said this all with a severe tone, but sympathy was clear on his face.

"But, sir, I'm in the middle of so many projects. And my interns, what will they do?" Hermione was feeling more and more alarmed as she realized the extent of her punishment. She was so close to breakthroughs in so many areas. Forget distractions this was a full out halt in her work.

"The council recognizes that this work you've been putting in has been for a good cause and they are figuring out how to best proceed with that information. For now, write up instructions for your interns and I'm sure with the help of other healers they'll be fine. And your projects will be here when you get back, Granger."

At this point Hermione was barely fighting back tears. After a moment Heath got up to place a consoling hand on her shoulder.

"We're not trying to be cruel Gran-... Hermione. This is a demanding job and we need our healers to be on top of their game and not strung out from working so much. This for your health as much as anything. Take this suspension as a vacation. And please just relax, Hermione." After a few more pats on her shoulder, Heath left Hermione to pack her things up.

She was utterly distraught and it took all of her will to not fall apart where everyone could still see her. Slowly she got up and grabbed her bag. Making sure no one was looking, she shoved some files into her purse and then walked out of the hospital with her head high.

Instead of heading home to wallow, Hermione decided to explore Diagon Alley. It was chilly as fall was slowly turning to winter, but at least it wasn't raining. Hermione stopped at a street corner, deciding whether to visit the book store or a pub for an early lunch one she heard her name screamed above the loud bustle of the crowd.

"Hermione Jean Granger you stay right there, young lady!" Hermione froze, then slowly turned around to face Molly Weasley. She broke out into a reluctant smile and hugged her second mother tightly.

"Molly, hello! It's been ages." Hermione said, hoping the older woman would ignore the fact that it was her own fault that it had been so long.

"Hermione, dear, I know it has, as you never return my owls. But never mind that, what are you doing here?" The woman still spoke quickly and with purpose and they chatted as they headed to the nearest pub to grab a drink.

The two sat down in a booth, safe from the cold, and chatted cheerily. "So, Hermione, what are your Thanksgiving plans?" Molly asked brightly, sipping from her butterbeer.

"Thanksgiving?" Hermione looked genuinely confused. "It's a little early for that isn't it?"

"Oh, heavens, dear no! It's in less than two weeks! The Thursday after next!" Molly chuckled at Hermione's distress. "I'll take that to mean that you don't have any plans? Lovely! You'll join us at the Burrow then!" Hermione gasped and started to protest but Molly Weasley merely stood up and talked over her. "That's great, dear, anyways I must be off, grocery shopping for dinner tonight and Arthur is expecting me home soon. Lovely to see you and dinner will begin promptly at 5 PM, see you then, dear. "And Mrs. Weasley was gone leaving Hermione out of breathe and completely at a loss for words.

Hermione's alarm clock went off, and she had to untangle herself from the covers to turn it off. She got out of bed, showered, and prepared for her day at work. It wasn't until she was already out the door when Hermione realized that she didn't have work. Not today, or tomorrow, or for two weeks. Sighing, she continued out the door, figuring she could at least have breakfast, and hoping that Malfoy wouldn't be a no-show again.

To her pleasure, Malfoy was already there, reading a newspaper and sipping on his cup of tea. She tried to hide her excitement as she made her way over, but try as she might she couldn't wipe the grin off of her face.

"Someone's cheery," Malfoy noted as she sat down. She merely blushed a grabbed a chocolate chip muffin. "Something to share?" he asked, folding his newspaper and setting it down. It took a moment for Hermione to recall the previous day, and her mood drooped, turning her grin into a frown. "What's wrong, He-… Granger?" He asked, suddenly serious.

Hermione did her best to not only ignore his almost slip, but to force herself to not cry. "I was suspended, from work. I uh, I worked too much." She looked down, and was startled as she watched his hand reach forward to grab hers. She closed her eyes when his thumb began to rub circles into her palm.

"Hermione, that's dreadful." This time she couldn't ignore him calling her by her first name, and she looked up to see him smiling sadly at her. "Is there anything I can do?" He asked softly, but she merely shrugged before pulling her hand away.

"How was your day yesterday?" She asked, trying to shake off the weird atmosphere that had settled around them.

"Busier than usual. I don't think I was off to bed until about two or three last night," Malfoy admitted. Suddenly he smiled, "if only you could come work for me, then I'd be far less swamped."

Malfoy chuckled at his own joke and turned his focus back to his newspaper and pastry. However Hermione pulled his attention back by letting out a girlish giggle.

"Why, Malfoy, you're a genius!" She declared. He looked at her strangely, wondering if this was the beginning stage of a mental breakdown.

"Wha-?" He asked, mouthful of scone.

"I'll come to work with you today!"


End file.
